Mine
by Arcane Assassin
Summary: A careless man's careful daughter... just how could this possible work out for them?
1. Chapter 1

_A careless man's careful daughter…_ A soft sigh escaped the redheaded knight as she gazed at the moping form of the blonde celestial wizard, whining about her rent to the ever patient Mira, who merely laughed at the younger woman's antics.

Blushing profusely Erza jerked her eyes away from the girl, trying instead to focus on the request board in front of her. A job, that's what she needed, anything would do, just something to distract her from the appealing form, manner, and unapologetic fan service of the young mage.

So engrossed in trying _not_ to think about her blonde goddess, Erza was completely caught off guard when said goddess whispered into her ear,

"Watcha doing?" her bright and cheery tone intruding on Erza's distracted thoughts, causing the normally stoic knight to blush the same shade of red as her hair, fearing that her thoughts would leap, unbidden, from her mind and impart their contents on the unsuspecting mage…

Turning slowly to face the excitable youth, her heart fairly leaping within her chest trying to reach the object of her desires, a fresh wave of pain washed over her senses as she beheld the glorious sight before her.

Face split into a wide grin, her brown eyes shining, laughter painted into every aspect of her being; head tilted slightly, with hands clasped securely behind her back, Lucy was a perfect picture for the distant knight.

After a moment or two, the smile began to falter, a soft blush colouring her cheeks, the celestial mage began to feel self conscious under the penetrating gaze of the knight.

"Something wrong, Erza-chan?" the soft lilt in her voice returning the knight to reality

Blushing harder, Erza turned back to the request board, clearing her throat in preparation to reply to her companion.

"No, nothing is wrong." She murmured softly, trying to organize her thoughts while resisting the temptation to inhale deeply, Lucy's scent floating around her in a dizzying haze, "I was just looking for a job."

The younger girl nodded, trying to emulate her own sagely demeanour as she did so.

"Mmm, I need to do that too," a definite slump came over her, "my rent is due this week and I haven't any money."

Erza's blush returned in full force at the sight of Lucy's pouting face, arms crossed across her chest, creating a very eye catching view. Turning away to stop herself from doing anything she would regret later, Erza couldn't help but inhale deeply, letting the girl's scent wash over her; she smelt of sugared treats, with a juicy undertone that seemed to stick in her throat until she could taste Lucy's perfume on her tongue.

Gathering her courage, Erza imitated her companion's position, nodding sagely as was her custom; she turned to face her fully,

"If that is the case then perhaps…" But she never got to finish her proposal, as a certain pink haired boy chose that moment to descend upon the two girls.

"Hey Lucy, I'm bored, let's go on a job!" the boy cheered, draping his arm over the startled girl's shoulders.

Said girl blushed at the contact, but smiled at Natsu.

"Sure, I need the money, so try not to destroy anything!" she warned pointing a stern finger at him.

The salamander pouted, but reaching past the redheaded knight, snatched a request off the board before grabbing his friend's hand.

"Come on Happy, let's go!" he cried, waving to his constant companion.

"Aye!" the blue cat chimed in response, turning tail to follow the two.

Lucy laughed as Natsu dragged her out of the guild hall, leaving Erza standing by the request board, hands hanging limply by her sides as she watched the pair run off.

Jealousy bit into her heart as she moved past the first-class request board, heading for the stairs, intent now on taking a more dangerous, S-class mission.

_It's for the best_, she tried to convince herself as she grabbed the first notice that came within reach, _they work well together, and it's only natural that they should feel drawn to each other._ But something in her chest felt like breaking at the thought of never being able to hold the celestial mage in such a manner as the salamander had.

_It's for the best_, she thought as she moved to exit the guildhall, request clasped in her gauntleted hand, her new mantra running over and over in her head, but thoughts of the blonde continued to dominate her mind regardless of any attempt to quell them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow. I was really surprised by the positive reception this fic got. 175 views and counting; thank you for taking the time to even look at this story. I know this chapter is short, but i thought that if i made it any longer it would kill it, so yeah, enjoy chapter two.**

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Draped over the bar, gazing soulfully at her glass, drawing pictures in the condensation, Lucy could do little to prevent the sigh escaping from between her lips. Turning her gaze to the ever present, chronic drinker, Cana, her new companion in the guildhall, amazement washed over her as she witnessed the girl finish her fourth barrel of beer for that morning.

Mira stood behind the bar as always, cleaning glasses, watching the blonde mage with idle curiosity.

"Lucy-chan, you've been sighing an awful lot since you got back, is something wrong?" The white haired girl cocked her head to the side, observing the younger mage as she resumed her tracing on the surface of her glass.

The celestial mage huffed quietly, pushing out her cheeks, avoiding the older girl's eyes.

"It's just…" She trailed off, wiping the wetness from her fingers onto the bench top, "Erza hasn't come back yet, and she's been gone for almost two weeks now…" she mumbled, averting her gaze in embarrassment.

Mira merely laughed at the girl's response. Lucy looked up sharply, pouting as she did, a soft blush colouring her cheeks.

"I don't see what's so funny…" She murmured, returning her gaze to the tabletop.

The older girl paused in her cleaning to wipe a tear from her eye, "Erza-chan is an S-Class mage, and she used to complete requests by herself all the time, there's no need for you to worry; she's a big girl and can take care of herself."

Reaching over to pat the top of the blonde girl's head gently, she continued to smile softly at the pouting mage, "Why don't you accept another request?" She suggested.

Lucy looked up, meeting the white haired girl's gaze, frowning as she did, "Why?"

The older girl just shrugged, "It could help pass the time, and you never know, Erza-chan might have finished her job by the time you get back, and then you can spend some time together."

Lucy looked away, blushing harder as she did. _I guess it would take my mind off of her, but what if she comes back before I finish, and accepts another quest?_ She wondered to herself, a strange pang of longing rising in her chest, her throat constricting as she remembered how she had run off on Erza while she was in the middle of saying something, _I didn't even say goodbye_…

Shaking her head stiffly, to try and expel the thoughts that threatened to overwhelm her, she replied, "Nah, I think I'll just wait here; it's not often I get some time off. Natsu is always so excitable, constantly accepting jobs and dragging me off with him. It'll make a nice change of pace."

The older girl smiled knowingly, but said nothing, choosing instead to resume cleaning the ever-growing pile of glasses as Cana continued to down every drink with astounding gusto.


	3. Chapter 3

**You know, I got really excited when I saw 16 reviews, but when they turn out to be spam about ABDL (whatever that is) I get kinda annoyed; unless its a serious request for a story DON'T WASTE MY TIME! Okay, thank you to all the people who reviewed this story properly, and as an apology for my short temper and the shortness of the last chapter, I present this to you. 210 views and counting =D**

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Standing outside the entrance to Magnolia, dragging her impossibly large collection of belongings behind her the knight stood contemplating her next move; it had been a long two weeks and all she really wanted to do was take a nice, long, and very hot, bath, before climbing into bed and sleeping for at least a week.

But another part of her wanted to check in at the guild first (conveniently forgetting how late it was), to try and catch a glimpse of the young mage that had never failed to dominate her thoughts every second, of every day for the past two weeks. The tempo of her heart began to increase at the thought of finally being able to see Lucy again…

Forcing herself to return to reality, Erza mentally scolded herself; she had taken the mission to try and forget about Lucy, and yet here she was, swooning like a schoolgirl at the thought of being able to see her again. _She belongs with Natsu, so just get over yourself already!_

She knew she couldn't return to the guild, not just yet, she needed to calm down first, to relax and properly convince herself that her feelings for the celestial mage were that of a… friend…

Grasping the handle of her trolley she charted a mental course for Fairy Hills; a warm bed and a nice long sleep was exactly what the doctor ordered. Maybe tomorrow she would be composed enough to visit the guild, but not today, today her head was tied up into too many knots to make sense of anything.

Opting to use the back alleys instead of the main street, Erza wanted to avoid alerting anyone in the town to her presence; she knew that the minute she was spotted word would reach the guild, and then she wouldn't be able to get any peace.

There was only one problem with using the back alleys, and it was one that Erza had presently forgot about until it was right in front of her; the most direct route to Fairy Hills, if you didn't want to use the main road, took her directly behind Lucy's flat.

Pausing, Erza found herself entranced by the building. The lights were on upstairs, and one of the windows was also open. Steam issuing from the window in a lazy trickle, and Erza began to blush profusely as she realised she was looking at the bathroom; the steam indicating that the younger girl was probably in the middle of a bath.

The normally stoic wizard found herself beginning to fantasize about possible scenarios, where, by some strange twist of fate, Lucy would choose that moment to look out the window, or require some assistance, and with Erza being the only person in the immediate vicinity, being forced to provide it.

The thought of being invited inside when her blonde goddess was so inappropriately… dressed… hair damp, and pressing against her face and neck, with droplets of water tracing delicate paths down her pale skin…

A warm feeling began to spread from her stomach, reaching lower, until she was reminded of her current situation by a short, sharp sneeze, distracting her from her present train of thought.

Guilt began to wash over Erza a she realised the nature of the thoughts that had previously wracked her; Lucy was her friend! She had no right to think about the younger woman in such a fashion. It was highly inappropriate and, and…

And Erza knew that if Lucy knew what the redheaded knight really thought about whenever she was caught staring then their friendship would be ruined forever… _Unless she feels the same…_ the thought struck her unbidden, and snarling quietly to herself she turned her back on the temptation that the partially open window presented, continuing her journey home; it really wouldn't do if someone (other than Lucy) happened to look out their window and see the Titania standing there, staring blankly at the building, her face as red as her hair.

Unfortunately for Erza, she resumed her journey too late (or early), she didn't see Lucy move to the partially open window, intending to close it to stop the heat escaping, only to catch a glimpse of a towering pile of cases disappear around the corner.

"Erza?"


	4. Chapter 4

**People may think that I'm rushing through these chapters, and maybe I am, but when I get inspired I find it difficult to stop... so here's chapter 4.**

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"Hey, Mira!" The young spirit mage cried out, waving enthusiastically at the girl behind the bar.

"Ah, Lucy-chan, you look in better spirits today; did something special happen last night?" She replied, looking somewhat relieved to see that Lucy was back to her usual exuberant self.

"Not really…" She responded, anxiously searching the interior of the guildhall for a familiar shock of red hair.

It was still early, so the guild was practically empty, only a few early risers or those who had failed to make it home the previous night were scattered about the hall.

Cana was sprawled out on a nearby table sound asleep, her last drink still clutched in her hand - Macao had forgotten that it was his turn to drag her home at closing time.

Mira looked on curiously as Lucy's shoulders fell forward, an air of sadness washing over her previously excited demeanour.

"Something wrong, Lucy-chan?"

Crestfallen by the Titania's absence, Lucy just shook her head, "It's just… Last night I thought…" Turning away from the white haired girl she began to move towards the library, "It doesn't matter. Is Levy-chan here yet?"

Mira suddenly realised who the young mage had come to see, "Did you think you saw Erza-chan last night?"

The Spirit mage's shoulders sagged even more under the weight of Mira's words. "I thought I saw her trolley, I mean, who else tows the entirety of their belongings with them when they travel? But I guess it wasn't her…"

Seeing the sadness in Lucy's expression was heartbreaking for Mira; she moved around the bar to embrace the younger girl, when a sudden idea came to her, "Lucy-chan, you know, you might have seen Erza-chan last night," The younger girl looked up hopefully at that, blinking away the tears that were threatening to fall, "Just because she hasn't reported back to the guild yet, doesn't mean that she's not home."

"What do you mean?" The blonde girl asked, looking genuinely confused.

Releasing Lucy, but pulling her gently to the hall entrance she continued, "Erza-chan has this bad habit - if she's really tired from a mission she sneaks back into Magnolia without telling anyone. She normally takes the back roads to avoid detection so that she can recuperate in peace."

Understanding began to dawn on the younger girl's face, "So you're saying that…"

"Before we jump to any conclusions maybe you should go check out Erza-chan's house in Fairy Hills. Once she had been back for a week, but didn't feel like reporting to the Master, so when she finally turned up we thought she'd been on a mission for two weeks, when really it had only been one."

"But Mira, I can't just turn up at her home if she wants to be left alone," The young mage exclaimed, blushing at the thought of going inside the Titania's home, _maybe even her bedroom…_blushing even harder she looked away from Mira, hoping she wouldn't notice.

The older girl smiled her knowing smile, but continued to push the girl towards the door, "I'm sure she won't mind if it's you."

"Eh? Wha-?"

"You and Erza-chan are 'friends', yes?" She continued with a suggestive wink, "So I don't see why she would mind."

_She can't really mean what I think she means, can she? Or maybe she doesn't and I just want to think she means that, but it doesn't really…oh what am I supposed to do? I can't visit Erza. Look at me, falling to pieces at the thought of being invited inside…_

"If you say so…" The celestial mage mumbled, trying desperately to tame the furious blush in her cheeks, "But where exactly does she live?"

"Fairy Hills is behind the guild, you should be able to spot it without any difficulty." And with that she closed the door, rather rudely, in Lucy's face.

"I guess I don't have a choice…" Hanging her head, she began the long trek to Erza's house, her blush growing darker, and darker with each step, her thoughts having taken a rather strange turn that would raise questions about her character.

I can't believe I'm going to see her bedroom…


	5. Chapter 5

**I have a bad feeling that the quality of these chapters may be deteriorating due the speed with which they are being produced... meh, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Chapter 5 is now available for your critique :)**

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A soft knock at the door startled the Titania from her sleep, causing her to jerk upright, having equipped one of her swords without thinking, prepared to meet any unwanted intruder.

Sighing to herself, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. _I guess that last mission really knocked me about, jumping at shadows; I should be ashamed of myself…_

The knock came again, a little louder, and more insistent then the first. _What in the world…? Who knows I'm here?_ Turning to her bedside, intent on checking the time, a scowl came over her features as she saw the digitised symbols, _who the hell pays house calls this early?_

Staring at the door, not really interested in investigating, she unequipped her sword, attempting to settle back beneath the covers before she lost any chance of falling back asleep, _maybe if I ignore them, they'll go away…_

A knock registered once more, only this time it was softer than the first, and this time it was accompanied by a voice,

"Erza?" The knight turned pale as recognition washed over her.

_This could not be happening. _She wasn't ready to face her, not yet and not here. Panic began to seize the redheaded mage as the gravity of the situation became apparent. She couldn't meet with Lucy like this; it would ruin everything she had tried so hard (and failed to do) over the past weeks to achieve.

No. She couldn't let her in, because at this point in time, the mess that was her head, she knew she wouldn't be able to restrain herself. And if she couldn't contain herself, she knew she would lose Lucy forever.

The voice called again and the Titania felt her armour breaking; she couldn't refuse her, not now, not ever.

With a drawn out sigh, she stepped out from under the protection that her covers provided. She hesitated in front of the door, before gathering her courage to open it.

Upon opening she almost wished she hadn't, the breath from her lungs was lost in an instant; she felt faint at the sudden deprivation of air, but was helpless to rectify the situation.

_This must be a dream…_ Erza was lost in a haze as her mind caught up to where the rest of her was. _There is no way this can be real…_

"I missed you." Came Lucy's muffled voice, her face pressed into Erza's neck, clutching her desperately in a fierce hug.

Erza began to turn red as the mage's honest show of affection stimulated some less than honest reactions.

"Lucy?" Came her choked response. She tried to pull back from the suffocating grip that the spirit mage had her in, but Lucy refused to relinquish her hold on the startled mage, completely oblivious to her growing breathlessness.

"Lucy…"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you could…" having run out of air, she indicated to the chokehold the young woman held her with.

Lucy, who had turned a shade of red that could rival Erza's hair, hurriedly released her, "Sorry."

An awkward silence settled over the two, as Erza tried not to stare, and Lucy's eyes tried not to wander over the knight's private quarters; she had caught a glimpse of Erza's bedroom down the hall, and her curiosity about the stoic knight had increased tenfold.

Trying to think of something to break the mounting tension, the redheaded mage said the first thing that came to mind, "Would you like to come in?"

She mentally kicked herself. _Real smooth Erza, because she hasn't already invited herself inside…_

Lucy smiled shyly at the older girl, nodding in response to the knight's pointless question.

Closing the door behind her, Erza followed the celestial mage with her eyes, watching the way she gazed in open wonder at the various tokens and relics that she had collected from her missions over the years. _So now that you have her here, what do you intend to do with her?_

Dropping her gaze she realised she was still in her nightwear; blushing softly, she quickly equipped her Heart Kreuz armour, before resuming her observation of Lucy.

As if summoned by Erza's distracted thoughts, she suddenly spun around to face her, having finished her examination of the room.

"How about a tour?" She asked, face spilt into a large grin, hands clasped behind her back.

"Uh…" Without thinking she took a step back, trying to restore some balance to her severely disrupted mind, she worked her mouth as if trying to form words, a profuse blush colouring her face.

Laughing at the older girl's discomfort, Lucy moved to eliminate the distance between them, "Or we could go for a walk instead if you prefer…"

Eyes wide, face red, Erza could only nod in response. _Why, why, does she have to be so damn…irresistible? _


	6. Chapter 6

**6 chapters... I must say that I am very pleased with myself... normally I get bored really easily, but I'm fairly satisfied with the way this is turning out. So please, enjoy the fruit of my labours :)**

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Lucy really didn't know why she had suggested that they walk; truly she didn't. She would have much rather have preferred to stay in Erza's apartment and just catch up, but the girl's obvious distress at having her there had led to her suggesting an alternative venue.

And as a result, she now found herself seated beside the redhead on the banks of the river that flowed through the city, just outside the walls of Magnolia.

A strange silence had settled over the pair, yet it was comfortable, at least compared to their earlier one that had arisen due to Lucy's unexpected visit.

Turning her head slightly, all the better to observe her silent companion, she watched as the knight systematically tore up the grass around her, first plucking a single strand, before proceeding to reduce it to thin ribbons. Entranced by the neat work carried out by the sometimes-boarish mage, she couldn't help but feel drawn to this more contemplative side of her; she would never have picked that Erza was capable of such delicate work.

Or composed silence for that matter either.

Lucy longed for a topic that would disrupt the stillness between them, but nothing came to mind, at least, nothing that would prompt further conversation…

Turning away with a sigh, she felt, more than saw, the knight stop her meticulous destruction of the grass.

"Is something wrong, Lucy?"

Turning back to face her companion, Lucy felt the heat rush to her face as she beheld the frowning countenance that was the Titania.

"N-no… why would you think that something was wrong?"

"When you asked me to walk with you I presumed there was something you wished to discuss with me, yet you have said nothing since we exited my apartment…"

"Oh," she replied, turning to face the water, pulling at the few tuffs of grass that remained after Erza's destructive pass-time, "It's nothing, really. I just wanted to see how you were…" She sneaked a glance at her friend, but was surprised to see something akin to disappointment there.

Why does she have to look like that? Did I not say the right thing…?

"I'm fine, and you?"

The young celestial mage merely shrugged.

The frown turned to a look of concern as Erza beheld the saddened expression of the other girl, "Lucy… if something is bothering you, you can talk to me, if it would help…"

She tentatively reached out to the blonde mage, fingertips barely brushing against the exposed skin of her upper arm.

Her arm burned from the seemingly innocent contact, the soft warmth emanating from the knight catching her off guard, so much so, that without thinking she leaned into that warmth, until Erza's whole hand, no longer just her fingertips, was firmly pressed against her.

The sensation was unlike anything she had ever experienced, the rush, addictive, almost instantly. Eyes closed, revelling in the feeling of Erza's warm hand pushing on her arm, she failed to notice the steady blush that slowly spread across the redhead's face, gradually turning darker and darker, until there was little different between the colour of her hair and the exposed skin of her face and neck.

"Lucy…" the red-haired knight gasped out, trying to tame the heat in her cheeks, removed her hand from the girl's arm, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Eyes snapping open, a soft blush coloured Lucy's cheeks in response to Erza's question, a sad smile pulling at her lips. The absence of the knight's warmth was registered instantly; a bittersweet sigh escaped from between the spirit mage's pursed lips. _I suppose it was nice while it lasted…_

Though much to her surprise, the knight sidled closer, not stoping until the distance between them was completely removed. _What on earth…?_

Totally engulfed by a new, and more fulfilling warmth, Lucy felt as if each and every nerve in her body was on fire, melting her from the inside out; the sensation was more powerful than the previous contact, the heat of the normally distant and sometimes terrifying Titania had infiltrated her body, mind and soul, until she felt as if this simplest show of affection would be the end of her.

Eyes drifting shut once more, she responded in kind to the knight's slightly awkward hug, looping her own arm around her waist, pulling them flush against each other, a gentle silence settling over them.

_You know, this is actually kinda nice…_


	7. Chapter 7

**I really am on a roll with these chapters... I just hope they are worth your while reading... anyways, enjoy.**

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"Will I see you tomorrow?"

The redhead hesitated; they had passed the rest of the day by the river, sometimes talking, but most of the time just sitting in a comfortable silence.

"I don't know…" The blonde mage looked up at her sharply, a soft sadness colouring her expression, "Maybe… if I feel up to it…" She smiled a gentle smile at the girl wrapped in her embrace.

Dropping her gaze, the celestial wizard nodded slowly, "Would you like me to come see you…?" A blush replaces the sadness in her face, "I mean… if you don't feel up to coming to the guild…"

The hopeful lilt in her voice caused Erza to sigh in resignation, "If you want."

_That is, if I can control myself…_

Lucy's smile made her heart want to melt. The thought of having the girl in her apartment again caused a rise of mixed emotions_._ She smiled in response, giving the younger girl a final squeeze before releasing her.

Dusting off the seat of her skirt, she offered a hand to the spirit mage, a hand that she gratefully accepted; though it would seem that she was unwilling to relinquish the contact as she retained her hold on the knight's hand for far longer than was necessary.

The snapping of a nearby branch, followed by a stifled curse caused both girls to relinquish their hold of the other. Erza's eyes narrowed as she made out the shape of a fleeing figure.

"Natsu," She growled.

Moving as if to pursue the boy, sword at the ready, Lucy placed a restraining hand on her arm, "What's wrong?" She obviously hadn't seen the Salamander else she wouldn't have been so calm.

You fool! She obviously saw him. Nothing happened here that she would feel embarrassed about someone else knowing… oh, Lucy, if only…

With a sigh she unequipped her sword, raising her hands in apology she began to make her way back to Magnolia.

Realising that Lucy wasn't following, she paused mid-step, turning around to see what could possibly be holding her up.

Lips parted, eyes wide, a soft pink in her cheeks, her hands hanging limply at her side, Lucy was staring, quite avidly, at the Titania, the way that the light reflected off of her armour had entranced the poor girl.

Beautiful…

Snapping back to reality, the younger girl suddenly became aware of the fact that she had been caught in her adoration. Firmly shutting her mouth, turning away from the red haired knight, she began to walk, rather stiffly, Erza noticed, back towards the gates of Magnolia.

Shaking her head at the other girl's embarrassment, she fell into step behind her, content to walk back in silence.

I suppose there is always hope…

The flap of familiar wings caught her attention, and looking skyward, she beheld the sight of a strikingly familiar blue cat flying overhead, surprisingly empty handed. Upon catching sight of the pair, the blue feline began his descent.

"Lucy!" He cried when he came within a reasonable distance.

Attracted by the sound of Happy's voice, Lucy stopped in her tracks, turning around in time to catch the excitable feline as he crashed into her.

"Happy? What's wrong?" The winged cat looked up tearfully, sniffling loudly

"I've been looking everywhere for you," he cried in a tear soaked voice, "Natsu wanted to go on another job, but we couldn't find you anywhere." He burst into tears fully once more.

"We thought you had left again!" Lucy sighed, but patted Happy gently on the back, trying to calm his hysterics.

"You know I'll never leave, you guys are stuck with me forever." Sniffing loudly, Happy looked up at her with large teary eyes.

"Really?"

"Really." Having sufficiently calmed down, Happy detached himself from the front of Lucy's shirt.

"Then we need to hurry, Natsu wants to leave before nightfall, and if we miss our train we have to wait for hours."

Laughing at the cat's melodramatics, the celestial mage tickled him under the chin, "Then we better not keep him waiting."

Grabbing the overjoyed feline, she took off at a run, no doubt to pack some things before meeting up with Natsu.

Erza stared after her, a deep sadness settling in her chest, she felt her shoulders sag, coming back to the awful realisation that she and Lucy would never, could never, share something like what she shared with Natsu.

As if sensing her former companion's sadness, Lucy paused in mid-run, turning around to shout back,

"Erza-chan…"

The desolate knight looked up at the sound of her goddess's voice,

"Welcome home." And with a final breathtaking smile in her direction, the girl resumed her reckless pace, with Happy hurrying her along.

A soft smile painted itself across Erza's face,

"I'm home."


	8. Chapter 8

**Holy f***, 1000+ views... I think I feel... dizzy... *faints*. Thank you for taking the time to view this story, and as my gift to you, I present chapter 8.**

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Seated patiently at her usual table surrounded by her friends, Lucy found it difficult to keep up with the flow of conversation.

According to Mira, Erza had taken a first-class mission the day before Lucy was due back; but strangely enough, it wasn't the older girl's absence that had her on edge.

"Hey, Levy-chan…" The blue-haired girl looked up from her book, eyes wide and expressive, startled even, having been quite distant from the conversation herself.

"Yeah, Lu-chan?" She enquired, head delicately quirked at her best friend.

Casting a furtive glance around the room, Lucy leaned in closer to the other girl, "Is it just me, or do people seem to be staring in this direction a lot…"

Leaning back from her friend, the wordsmith blinked a few times before turning her perceptive gaze over the interior of the room.

"You know," She replied in a contemplative tone, "I think you're right. People do seem to be staring at us."

She paused for a moment, once again surveying the room, "Maybe it's because Natsu-kun and Gray-kun aren't fighting today?"

Lucy nodded slowly, considering the possibility, but still feeling uneasy.

"I suppose that could be it, but I get this feeling that they're talking about me." Rubbing her arms nervously, she accidentally caught Natsu's eye.

The salamander quickly turned away, an embarrassed look on his face.

_What's up with him?_

As if sensing Lucy's continued stare, the pink haired boy chose that moment to engage in his favourite pass-time: destroying stuff.

"Oi, squinty eyes." Gray looked up at that, frowning at the excitable boy.

"What did you just say, slanty eyes?" He growled in response, standing up menacingly.

The other boy just smirked, and sure enough, fists began to fly, along with anything else that wasn't nailed down.

A loud splintering noise jogged a sudden memory, but its nature escaped her at present; looking over at the pair now being egged on by the rest of the guild, Lucy felt certain that everyone had been staring at her, but couldn't begin to understand why.

"You know Lucy," Came Cana's slightly slurred drawl, every present bottle in hand, as she made her way over to the girls who had taken refuge behind the bar.

"You really are a late bloomer." She said, plonking herself down rather unceremoniously next to the pair.

Lucy blinked in surprise, turning to face the chronic drinker fully, failing to notice Levy's soft blush, but suddenly avid attention or Mira subtly drawing closer to hear Lucy's response over the din that was echoing throughout the hall

"What do you mean?" She asked genuine confusion painted across her face.

Cana paused in mid swing a surprised look altering her usually laid back features, leaning forward, she addressed Levy instead, "I thought you said that they were official."

Levy turned a bright shade of pink, turning away from the older girl's strangely steady gaze, "I-I never said that…" Turning to Mira, she pointed a finger in accusation, "I thought you said that you saw them together, and that they were going to make an announcement to the guild."

A nervous smile pulled at Mira's lips; rubbing the back of her head in response, a forced laugh escaped her, "Well, that's not entirely true…" She trailed off casting a glance in Lucy's direction, noting the girl's puzzled expression, "You see, Natsu said he saw them by the river and…"

Lucy felt the blood drain from her face.

All three girls turned to her expectantly, obviously waiting for her to clarify the situation.

_They can't be serious…_

The memory of a snapping branch finally came to the forefront of her mind: _Natsu._

Fists clenching, and a hooded look coming over her, she moved out from behind the relative safety of the bar and directly into the fray, fairly shaking with anger.

Grabbing onto a familiar scale-like scarf, she tugged the attached body from the swarming mass of limbs, before planting a solid, meaty _swak_ into the centre of his being.

Grunting in satisfaction, she stepped over the now immobile form of the feared salamander; cheeks blazing in embarrassment she exited the guild hall with as much dignity as she could muster.

_I knew they were talking about me!_


	9. Chapter 9

**I re-uploaded this chapter, but most of the changes are only really in the beginning... though it's still really long -_-**

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If asked at a later date, Erza knew she would be able to think up a viable excuse, but at the moment, she herself had no idea what had possessed her to do this.

Heart pounding as she let her curiosity get the best of her, she had sidled over towards the stray piece of cloth peeking out from where it had been roughly shoved after… well, whatever it was that the celestial mage had last used _it_ for.

Blushing bright red she pulled the stray piece of cloth free, and uncovered that it was attached to well, she didn't know what it was. It was very girly, soft and… seemed strikingly familiar…

Her eyes widened in surprise as she recognised the offending garment, _what kind of situation would someone ever have need of something like this for?_ Yet she found herself unable to relinquish her hold of the scrap of cloth - for she refused to believe that it could possibly be a complete article of clothing – _surely it wasn't possible for her to own such a thing…?_

Still, it belonged to her blonde goddess, that much was certain; it still carried hints of the young girl's perfume, dancing around her sense just out of reach, without thinking she brought the… object… closer, trying desperately to hold onto the last fragments that marked it as property of the celestial mage.

_Even this measly piece of material is able to be closer to her than I ever will be…_

Erza thought forlornly, eyes closed as pain washed over her senses, she longed to embrace the young girl properly, to tell her she loved her, but she knew it was hopeless.

So lost in thoughts of the impenetrable distance between them, she failed to notice the scrape of keys, followed by the slamming of the front door.

Apparently the owner was as surprised to see her there, as well as her present occupation, for they found themselves speechless and stunned, gaping like a fish, trying to form coherent words that would translate to their mouth.

"Erza?" Came the petrified squeak.

Jumping at the interruption, Erza desperately tried to hide what it was that she had been looking at, while simultaneously trying to tame the furious blush in her cheeks.

Turning around to find an equally red Lucy staring at her from across the room, Erza found she couldn't quite meet her gaze.

"Were you just…?"

"No."

_Liar._

She felt ashamed. Of her actions and this uncontrollable need she felt whenever she was near the blonde, the need to feel that silky smooth skin, to feel the warmth of her embrace, to breathe deeply, just for a second hand taste of what the girl's flesh would actually be like.

Turning her own gaze away from the flustered Titania, she sagged against the door, suddenly requiring its support to stay upright.

Temporarily forgetting her own discomfort, Erza looked on in concern as the celestial mage lost any apparent desire to remain upright as her descent down the door ended with a rather final thump.

"This really isn't my day…" Observing the growing distress of the spirit mage as she buried her head in her hands, Erza began to feel as if her presence in the younger girl's house was thoroughly unwelcome, hanging her head in shame, she began to move towards the door, intending to see herself out.

"Please, forgive my intrusion, I did not realise that it would be so distressing for you," she paused as the younger mage looked up, but found herself unable to meet her gaze once more, "I know that my actions were presumptuous, so I will not force my presence on you any longer."

She stood patiently in front of the immobile mage, waiting for her to move so that she could leave, but the blonde haired girl just sat there, looking up at Erza with a sorrowful expression on her face.

"Erza…" A soft sigh escaped the girl as she drew further into herself, her knees resting fully under her chin, "It's not you - it's just…" Tugging lightly at her hair, the younger girl struggled to broach the subject that was causing her so much discomfort.

Erza just stood there patiently, slightly relieved that she wouldn't have to leave; her eyes never strayed from the young woman's face, even with the uninhibited view she was currently privy to.

"Today at the guild… people seem to think that there is… something… going on…" She trailed off, a soft blush painting itself across her cheeks.

Erza cocked her head at the girl, genuinely confused about what it was that she was alluding to.

"I don't understand… what is it that the guild believes to be the problem?" She squatted in front of the girl, all the better to see her face, as she had once again hidden it behind her hands.

The girl's only response was to shake her head furiously, the blond locks catching the fading light in a most captivating manner.

Unable to take it any longer, Erza reached out to the poor girl, forcibly removing her hands from her face; Lucy's eyes widened in surprise, as the knight held her wrists captive.

"Tell me." She whispered softly, looking her straight in the eye. "Please."

Unable to resist the shining brown orbs of the Titania, Lucy mumbled her response into her chest, her head having sunk there in defeat.

A furious blush came over the knight, but her hold on the younger girl tightened.

"And is there?" She asked, unsure of the answer she wanted, or the answer she was likely to receive.

The celestial mage looked up, the soft blush changing several shades darker, her mouth hung open in shock, a sentiment that was reflected in her eyes.

Desolation began to wash over the red haired mage. _ So she doesn't… I suppose it's no real surprise, given that Natsu…_

As the blond girl continued to stare, her silence her only response, Erza released the girl's wrists, intent on exiting the building. _You fool. You should know better by now not to let false hope get the better of you… it would have been better if you had just stayed away from her…_

"I don't know, is there?" The soft tones of her goddess stopped her in her tracks.

It was her turn to look surprised, a soft flutter registered in her chest; _don't you dare…!_

Pulling at her fingers, now cold due to the absence of the Titania's hands, Lucy turned her gaze to the floor, unsure of the situation in which she now found herself.

"Where exactly do we… stand?" She murmured, not taking her eyes of the floor, Erza felt her heart stop; her lungs failed to function properly, her mind a whirlpool, _where do we stand?! How should I know…?_

"We are… friends, yes?" It pained her to say it, and a noticeable slouch in the celestial mage's sunken posture became apparent, "But…"

She hesitated as she noticed the stillness of the girl on the floor, once more a faint stirring could be felt inside her.

"I don't know…" She finished quietly.

The younger girl looked up at her, nodding slowly as she did, unconsciously chewing on her lip, the occasional flash of white tooth revealing her agitation.

Running a hand through her red tresses, Erza sat down next to the blonde mage.

"So, now what?" The other girl asked.

"Maybe we should just wait and see…" The older girl replied, slipping her arm around the spirit mage's slim shoulders.

Much to Erza's ever growing surprise the girl responded positively to the gesture, burrowing into her side; the girl's warm breath tickled the exposed skin of her chest as they drew ever closer.

"Hey…"

"Yes?"

"I just noticed… you're not wearing any armour…" Erza blushed a deeper shade of scarlet as the blonde mage gripped her tightly, nuzzling her shoulder, "I kinda like it."

Smiling softly at the girl, Erza pressed her face into her hair, inhaling deeply.

_I like it too…_


	10. Chapter 10

**Oh hi there, it's been a while hasn't it? Sorry for the long wait, things have just been kinda chaos for the past 4 months. Hoping that this was well worth the wait, i just want the thank the 3000+ people who have taken the time to read this work, it never ceases to amaze me about the positive reception this fic received. Oh and one more thing, so nice of people to mention that I got Lucy's eye colour wrong in the FIRST CHAPTER -_- but its okay, cus I fixed it. Enjoy.**

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Snuggling even closer to the red haired knight, Lucy didn't even notice when she began to doze until a slight shift in the body beside her thrust her back into a state of heightened awareness.

Her head was buried into the crook between Erza's shoulder and neck, her head having lolled to the side as she too drifted off, exposing the tender white flesh normally hidden by the collar of her armour.

She breathed deeply, inhaling the soft musk of the knight's natural state; she felt the strength and confidence of the Titania seeping into her lungs in that one breath alone.

Unwilling to move so as not to disturb the sleeping girl, Lucy occupied herself by watching the soft thrumming of the vein in her neck and the gentle rise and fall of the knight's chest.

Her skin was surprisingly smooth, unblemished and perfect, even though she had no doubt been wounded countless times, although maybe it was just her neck that had escaped permanent injury… the celestial mage blushed softly as an unbidden thought struck her…

_I wonder if she does have any scars… would she show them to me?_

The thought of being granted the opportunity to see the knight on a more personal level sent a strange shiver of warmth through her body, but she did her best to suppress it, lest she wake her slumbering giant.

Still, with that thought floating around in her mind, driving her to distraction, she didn't realise she had steadily been leaning in closer to the redheaded temptress until she felt the gentle throbbing of her vein pressed against her lips.

Startled by her own boldness, she jerked back from the sleeping mage, aghast at what she had done. Her sudden movement had awakened the knight and she felt her tense beside her.

Ashamed by her actions, she found herself unable to look at the knight for fear that the guilt of what she had just done would be written all over her face.

"Sorry." She whispered softly into her knees, having drawn back into herself in an attempt to retreat from her… friend?

_Friends don't do things like that to each other while they're sleeping!_ She snapped at herself mentally, still unable to look at her

"What for?" The knight murmured in response, rubbing her eyes to remove the sleepiness there.

Blushing even harder, Lucy buried her face in her knees, _she didn't even realise? How awkward…_

"Lucy?" The redhead probed, gently squeezing her side, "What's wrong?" The evident concern in her voice making her feel even more wretched than she already did.

_Oh God. What am I going to do? I have to tell her – if I don't then things will only get weird and she may start to think I was only leading her on earlier… but if I do say something won't that make it even weirder? What if she doesn't want _that_ kind of relationship, just a normal… oh who am I kidding? There's nothing normal about any of this… or maybe there is… oh I don't know!_

Inhaling deeply once more to steel her nerves, the knight's curiously feminie musk infiltrated her system again, intoxicating her in a single breath. _I could get used to this…_

So with confidence she certainly didn't feel, she mumbled her confession into her knees, just like before when she had told Erza about the incident at the guild.

Her face hidden as it was, she couldn't see Erza's reaction to her confssion, but she felt a sudden coldness as the knight moved away from the embrace they had shared, its warmth instantly missed.

"I see."

Cringing internally at the lack of emotion in her voice, a sense of desolation washed over her as she realised that may just have ruined everything.

_Why, oh why, did she have to feel so damn good, smell so damn good?_

Preparing herself for the inevitable rejection, she was surprised to feel the knight's strong fingers pull at her chin, bringing her around to face her directly.

"Then I hope you won't mind if I respond in kind?" She asked, gently cupping her cheek, as she leaned in closer, their breath mingling as both hesitated to close the gap.

Eyes wide, Lucy couldn't help but stare in disbelief as she realised the knight had carefully manoeuvred herself just so she could do this.

She saw the question, the askance in those deep brown eyes, unwilling to do anything that would make her feel uncomfortable.

Closing her eyes in response, she took the plunge, and closed the distance.


	11. Chapter 11

**Yo. I know, I know, its been forever since I last updated, and I know this chapter is only short, and yes I have been sitting on my hands for the past few months, but in my defence I did try to write it three times... about a month apart... anyways I hope you like it... On that note I'm not sure how many more chapters I will be adding to this story, let me know if you think I should end it here or add another chapter or two. Also, I re-uploaded chapter 9 - i think someone said something about the beginning being off, so yeah I changed it a bit, though if anyone hates the change tell me. Thanks.**

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"You are the best thing that has ever been mine." She whispered her silent confession into the sleeping girl's ear.

Erza smiled as said girl's face scrunched up in her sleep, some part of her subconscious processing the words that had been spoken with such care. Idly she wondered if her princess would remember them when she awoke.

Sighing she pressed her lips against the other girl's forehead in an attempt to smooth the lines that had formed there. As if responding to her touch, the young celestial wizard also sighed in her sleep, her hand clutching ever tighter to the fabric that covered her back.

Lucy had murmured into her ear as she drifted off, "Stay."

So she had stayed.

That had been several hours ago, yet even now she found it difficult to sleep, fear clutching at her heart that if she dared to close her eyes, dared to sleep, then when she woke she would find that all that had transpired between them would have been a dream.

_If it is a dream, then I pray to any gods who will listen, please, never let me wake…_

It was a cruel thought to have, to continually doubt the love that Lucy felt for her, but still, even now, she struggled to believe that it was the same sort of love that she herself felt for the blonde mage she now held in her arms.

"I love you, so much. So please…" Erza closed her eyes, desperation beginning to colour her voice, drawing her goddess closer, "never leave me alone."

"Okay."

Jerking back in surprise, Erza felt herself flush under the amused gaze of the celestial mage.

A smile crinkled the face of the younger girl, her petite frame gently wracked by her soft laugh. Erza blushed even harder as the sensation was not all that unpleasant…

"How long have you…?" Unable to finish her own thought, she turned away in embarrassment. She was the Titania for god's sake! The strongest woman in Fairy Tail! And yet here she was too scared to even confess her feelings to the girl in her arms _while she was awake_!

Giving the blushing knight a gentle squeeze in response, the blonde mage nuzzled her cheek affectionately.

"A while." Was all she offered in response to Erza's unfinished question, doing nothing at all to alleviate the other girl's embarrassment.

"Why didn't you say something?" The Titania huffed, trying, and failing, to be intimidating.

"'Cus you were being just too cute." She murmured into the flustered knight's ear.

"Hmph."

Pulling back slightly, the spirit mage raised an eyebrow at the woman in her arms, "Are you sulking?"

Erza turned further away from her blonde goddess, trying desperately to control her expression, but the redness of her cheeks refused to fade, and she could feel herself pouting.

_Oh what are you, a tiny child?_ She mentally chastised herself, ashamed of her own childish reaction. _She knows you better than you think - admit it, you would never have said that to her if you knew she was awake._

Unable to argue with herself the usually stoic knight sighed in defeat, choosing instead to bury her head in the nook of the young celestial mage's neck in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

"Yeah, well…" Her response was slightly muffled by the other girl's hair, "You cheated."

"Mmmm…" The other girl agreed, gently stroking the silky red tresses that covered her pillow.

The gentle ministrations of the other girl somehow managed to soothe the raging heart, and mind, of the red haired knight, allowing her to slowly drift off. The last thing she heard as sleep finally claimed her, was the soft breathing of the girl in her arms, and a faint whisper,

"Soba ni iru, owarimade."*

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*** I'll stay by your side, until the very end.**

***Ahem* after much deliberation i have decided that after 9000+ views that this story can be safely finished. I will, however, continue writing little one-shots, sort of like a sequel to this story, continuing off from this point - i just think adding any more chapters may ruin the cutesy feel this last chapter has. The "sequel" is titled "After That", so yeah, if you liked this story feel free to translate that interest over.**


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